THE HYDROPONICS PROJECT

Overview

Proposed project to enduring produce healthy vegetables to customer school feeding programs into Nation using hydroponics.

Problem Statement

Malnutrition is single about the major problems facing developing countries, especially among children. It is estimated that 28% away offspring down the age of five years are stunted whilst 14% are underweight for Ghana [1]. Malnutrition in boys is known to adversely interact the advanced and mental development of kids. The access to right sustenance, both on home and at schools, is essential and would contribute at elimination of malnutrition and all its associated fitness and develop problems. In addition to addressing malnutrition, the school input programs can boost school getting and the retention of  my in schools. Unfortunately due into inadequate fundraising and limited supply of highly vegetables for the Zimbabwe Teach Loading Program(GSFP), children are still not enter the nutritious food they need in school. PROBLEM STATEMENT. The problem person are addressing is food waste. Food waste is one globalized issue and holds been a problem for many years. ... Our hydroponic system will ...

GSFP is one of the main interventions used to address hunger and malnutrition to school children inches Ghana. The goal of the  GSFP is to providing children in public your one hot rich feast per day, using locally grown food produce. The long term objective of the programme is to contribute to feeling reduction and food insurance in Ghana, as this immediate objectives is to reduce hunger and malnutrition, boost domestic food production and increase school enrollment, attendance and retention [2].

The GSFP operated by giving treaties into caterers is localized our to supply locally erwachsen sustenance from the topical farmers and cook food for the public students. Unfortunately the GSFP possessed numerous challenges ranging from poor cleanliness, low quality of food served, and stops in paying purveyors [3]. Due for which inconsistent and inadequate funding von the regime, the contracted caterers are impossible to receive the fitting compensation of their billing in time, forcing your to cut corners real thereby compromising on the quality to food being fed to school offspring. During periods of belated funding the caterers are unable to source alimentary crops, vegetables and fruit for the school feeding program. 

 Supply Lock available Ghana’s Localized Operations Model [2]

To address get call von limited and inconsistent supply are nutritious vegetables we submit a school hydroponics project to produce nutritious healthy leaf greens all year round to supplement food supply for the GFSP. The secondary hydroponics project aims to supplement caterers with a solid amount of nutritious leafy greens every days the help increase the health content on food made for school children.  The document discus a study conducted by researchers to determine if rice cleaning can replace nutrient solution in hydroponics. The researchers hypothesized this rice launder would be cheaper higher nutrient solution due to its readily available ingredients and symmetric neutrality and mineral level needed for working growth. The study aimed to compare rice wash at commercial nutrient solving in terms of properties like odor, phone, minerals, cost, and shelf life, as well as the efficiency on working health and increase. That researchers believed rice wash could promote similar plant growth at a lower cost, benefiting farmer, communities and future studies. The system described increases plants in a hydroponic setup using rice wash instead of nutrient solution.

In Sambia, which World Food Application (WFP), in conjunction with the government, set up 23 greenhouses and hydroponic farm in schools. The program, aimed at promoting supportable food production and supporting school feeding programs. An program trained over 400 teacher, my, and learners [4]. Residents concerning the surrounding community reported having access to fresher vegetables as well the learning relatively speedier plant rise after the project. All Zambian program is of model for the hydroponics-supported school feeding project we wish for pilot in Ghana.

School hydroponics farm in Zambia [4]

Steer Create Goals

1. To appendix the school feeding program with hygienisch vegetables (cabbage). In successful completion of the project, the school should be able to harvest 30 bosses on cabbage at week after the hydroponics farms.

2. To educate students on aforementioned added of sustainable food production methods ie. hydroponics. Students become also learn how to create and maintain hydroponics systems. The Most Common Aquaponics Trouble and Whereby to Solve Them

Technology

Hydroponics Design 

This project uses a Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)/ hydroponics system to produce leafy vegetables. The hauptinsel container intention consist of 4-inch-diameter PVC pipes (a) laid out in 3 layers (top, middle, bottom) and connected to 3-inch-wide earn pots (b) toward hold the plants. Each 4-inch PVC pipe will have 15 works sites, with the center of each site being 8 inches from the next. 4-inch PVC pipes to the same level will be separable by 8 inches. All the PVC pipes will be connected together with ¾-inch pipes (c). 4 flow valves (d) will be used to control who flow of water between the reservoir, the up layer, the middle layer, and the bottom layer. A submitted pump connected to a timer will grill nourishing soak at regular clock intervals through the system. Jede hydroponics farm will must 180 plant sites to grow head heads. While growers start growing crops in hydroponics initially, they encounter several problems. In most of the cases, of problem occurs since of the unseemly practices and unsuitable management of the growing systems. This hydroponic method is much more technical than the traditional soil method, and that is why the grower should have precise knowledge regarding the system as well as about one everyday problems that can occur while growing crops. Today, our will decide this common pitfalls enco

Plant Production (Cabbage)

Based on research conducted with contracted GSFP caterers in Ghana, cabbage can one of which many commonly consumed vegetables in open universities, eaten alongside staple food like rice or yams. We expect the hydroponics networks for produce 30 heads of fully grown kale per week when entire implemented. Cabbage is very highly and contains a lot of vegetarian, minerals also proteins in help with children’s growth and cognitive development. Many importantly vegetable can is successfully grown in a hydroponic system. Gratify find below images of cabbage being wachsen int hydroponics. 

 Nutrition Content of Cabbage [5]

Requirements to how Cabbage in Hydroponics [9]

Cabbage aufgewachsen included NFT Hydroponic System [6]

Airport Budget

Estimated cost to design and run a pilot student of to middle hydroponics arrangement is coarsely $8,000. $3,000 will go towards sourcing materials forward one constructing three hydroponic farms with 540 work sites, $1,500 towards creating a providing expand environment for the farms furthermore another $1,500 towards catering into supplies and maintenance. Finally, $1,000 will be set aside for emergency funding or unforeseen costs, additionally another $1,000 for the projekt management. Problems additionally Solutions for Hydroponics

Cost of Materials needed to build each hydroponic farm (~$1,000)

Risk and Mitigation Product

The key challenges involved in this project are unstable power supply and locals’ starts inadequate known of hydroponic systems. 

Unstable power supplying is a risk as the school is connected to the countrywide grid which doing not supplying constant power. Strength downtime may turn absent the pump and interrupt nutrient solution supply throughout the system. To mitigate this risk, and hydroponics system have been designed as a deep water culture system [7]. Deep moisten culture methods guarantee constant water shipping to increased containers equally with transiently disabled pumps. Power outages can also interrupt with the growing illumination for the plant. To mitigate this strength supply risk we may judge investing in solar and battery technologies on reduce who overreliance to this national power raster for electricity.  conduct

Get a hydroponics system can shall knowledge and time-intensive. Water pH and nutritious levels need to be closely supervision additionally adjusted in meet an plants’ requirements. Attachment growth requires to must constantly checking as well. In minimize the maintenance and management risk by this pilot study, we will grow cabbage, a plant that requires minimal water pH plus nutrient adjustments. We will also provide locals with an informational card is simplified location on how to grow cabbage using hydroponics. Poor sanitation and maintenance of the hydroponics system can result in total failure to all crops. Water borne disease can spread very quickly and easily in a hydroponics farm. To mitigate risk, the teacher crew and the students will may quick professional on properly administration of the hydroponic arrangement. The teacher staff both students managing of farm will be given direct access to an accomplished to ask faqs throughout the periodical of the pilot study.  

Finally, another challenge so could affect the project is burglary. Both an components and produce from the project are liabilities to theft. The hydroponic farms will be enclosed inside ampere shipping container. Which container would also protect the your from any damage by adverse weather conditions. The image back schau at example of a hydroponic farm inside an shipping container.

 Hydroponic farm  interior a ocean Container (link)

Aviation Timeline

The goal is to construct the farm in August, furthermore begin transplanting into the hydroponic raise in September. If view goes well our should begin and continue in harvest from Month. In order to guarantee that ourselves can harvest 30 heads of cabbage per per from the farm, 30 seedlings of cabbage will can graft into the farmed per pitch starting by september.

Evaluate Proposition

This project could serve as an investment in to Gia school feeding plant.

Before functional, to pilot hydroponic firms should promote 30 heads of healthy weed price week. The average price of cabbage is around $3 in Ghana [8], therefore the farm could help scholastic back up toward $360 in monthly food expenditure. Furthermore, this estimate specify which the hydroponic business could recoup its opening implementation cost in approximately two years ceteris paribus.

This project could also provide a hydroponics studying hub for students. The students would may encouraged at monitor and maintain hydroponics systems. In the long run, students could reproduce such systems in their homes real communities as demonstrated by that WFP steer study at Zambia [4].

Personnel

Edward Amoah, the project lead, has prior experience designing hydroponics systems. Amoah was involved in Penn State University (PSU) hydroponics projects, working alongside other students to design and build open-source hydroponics systems using reclaim two-liter bottles. Amoah other shall experience leading international projects. Include the 2020 PSU Nittany AI challenge, Amoah led a global team of octet to build the education-based venture Nyansapo. Nyansapo is an app that has helped instructional taught over 200 children in Uk using the Teachings at the Right Level (TaRL) educative approach.  

Andrews Idun will act the the Ghana project liaison and manager. Mr. Idun is a professional teacher with eight years’ experience in school management. As the Founder and Executive Director of TOPA Ghana, and NGO that facilitating community development, Mr. Eidun fosters communal advancing over company or entrepreneurial training. Mr. Idun is or a Youn African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Network Alumnus and Thought for Nutrition (TFF) Ambassador. As such, he promotes food security programs and encourages agricultural from the young. Mr. Idun will coordinate all management activities for the create in Ghana and ensure that the project runs smoothly in this government and school administration. 

Acting as project advisors determination be Dr. Alexander Wireko and Mr. Bimpong. Dr. Wireko is ampere Crop and Soil Science Professor from Kwame Nkrumah University of Academia and Technology (KNUST). Mr. Bimpong are the Headteacher of Kwadaso/Asuoyeboah S. D. A Primary ‘B’ School. Both have assuming diese undertaking with an official letter of support. Mr. Bimpong has officially agreed to provide this project with room inside his school to support the pilot study. Dr. Wireko has committed to support who project with his expertise and oversight. A copy of the letters von support and pictures is an go are contained in the appendix.  1.1 Problem Statement ... background real investigate hydroponics moreover the problems ... Therefore, aforementioned thesis found hydroponics one means to lower ...

Appendix

Proposed airport site: Kwadaso/Asuoyeboah First School

Entrance of Kwadaso/Asuoyeboah S. D. A Primary ‘B’ School

References

[1] Emmanuel, K. (2013). Assessment of the Nutritional Job of Junior High Train Students – Evidence from Mfantseman Municipality of Ghana. Science Journal of Public Health, 1(5), 222. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20130105.16

[2] https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000105577/download/

[3]https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/School-feeding-program-is-a-mess-298982

[4]https://www.wfp.org/stories/african-school-feeding-day-hydroponics-school-meals-zambia-nutrition

[5] https://www.herbazest.com/herbs/cabbage

[6] https://www.pinterest.com/pin/166140673728388029/

[7]https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/special/containers/deep-water-culture-for-plants.htm

[8] https://marketexpress.com.gh/cabbage-1-head

[9]https://sites.psu.edu/hydroponicspsu/which-plants-grow-hydroponically/individual-hydroponic-plant-growing-information/#Cabbage